Homogenizer.



J. WILLMANN.

HOMOGENIZER.

' APPLICATION FILED 0cT.19, 1910.

. Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. JOSEPH WILLMANN, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT HOMOGENIZER.

Specification of LettersI atent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Lhpplication filed October 19, 1910. Serial No. 587,931.

To all whom it may cmm.=. 7

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH 'WILLMANN,

at present a subject of the Emperor of Gerdisintegrating the fat globules to such an extent as to render the liquid homogeneous,

the separation of the milk. and cream or rising of the cream or its constituents to the top or 'surface'of the milk being thereby prevented. The homogenizing action in accordance with my present invention is such that the casein contained in the milk remains practically undisturbed or unaltered so that milk and cream homogenized according to the present invention mayv be used in'hot' coffee and similarbeverages without curdling and moreover the digestibility of the milk and cream is facilitated.

To? these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and'a'rrangements of parts'all as will be hereinafter fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a sectional view of the homogenizing device constructed in accordance with one embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2 represents a detail enlarged view partly in section of the homogenizing elements Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

In the present instance the dev1ceem bodies a casing, 1 which contains the homogenizing elements "and a high pressure pump 2 for supplying the liquid at ho no The casing 1 maybe of any suitable construction, that shown in the.

genizing pressure.

present instance having an inlet passage 3. which communicates with and receives the liquid to be homogenized as it is discharged 4: formed in a manifold or header 5, this manifold being connected. to the cylinder 6 of a pump capable of delrvering the liquid to the homogenizing 'de vice at a, pressureof between three and five.

thousand pounds per square inch, practice having demonstrated that the fore oing figures represent the limits of the pre erred homogenizing pressure. The casing for the homogenizing device may be readily. connected to the manifold of the pump by a flange connection 7, as shown, or byany other suitable means. The casing 1 is formed with a bore 8 which communicates with the inlet passage 3 and preferably ex tends at an angle to the latter.

The casing 1 contains 'the' improved homogenizing elements, one of these ele- 1 ments 9 being in the present instance in the form of a bushing which is threaded into. the bottom of the casing 1 in alinement' with the bore 8, the connection of the bushing to f the casing being such that a fluid-tight joint is formed between the parts and the ibu'shing-is capable of withstanding the itively high homogenizing pressure.

fbushing is hollow, it having a hole 10 ex-- Etending axially therethrough and its upper. end is formed with a smooth flato'r-plane 5 surface 11. element 12, which in the present instance is in the form of a plunger, is fitted in the bore 8 of'the casing and is capable of axial This A cotiperative homogenizing adjustment therein. That end of the element 12 opposed to the bushing 9 is formed with a perfectly smooth flat or plane surface 13 which is opposed to the correspondingly'formed surface 11 on the cooperative element 9. Suitable means is provided for iconducting' the liquid at homogenizing pres-' sure to the opposed plane surfaces 11 and '13, the upper end of the bushing 9 in the. present instance being 'formed somewhat-- smaller than the bore 8, thus providing an annular feed groove or space pose' To for this purprevent leakage of the liquid past the plunger 12' apacking 14 surrounds the plunger and is held under suitable pressure by a cap,v 15 which may be threaded or otherwise clamped upon the casing. A yoke 1'6'is' connectedto thecasing, a screw 17 is threaded .in the yoke'and bears upon the exteriorend or top of the plunger 12. and. a hand wheel 18 of suitable size is provided on the upper end of the screw.

According to the present invention, the

distance between the liquid is introduced into the passage .3 at a suitable homogenizing pressure and passes from this passage into the bore 8 and from the latter it is projected in a very thin film between the opposed and cooperative plane or flat surfaces 11 and 13 of the homogenlzing elements, this film moving inan inward 10 and 12. are relatively adjustable to prop erly regulate the distance between the surfaces 11 and 13 and they are positively and rigidly maintained at a fixed adjustment when set. The screw 17 enables the distancebetween the plane surfaces 11 and 13 to be adjusted or regulated but it forms a. rigid abutment that will positively limit the relative separation of the surfaces 11 and 13, thereby maintaining them at a fixed adjustment. In this manner the surfaces 11 and 13 may be set and rigidly maintained such a distance apart as will produce the necessary homogenizing pressure upon the liquid delivered from the pump whereby such liquid will enter the space between the plane surfaces 11 and 13 at sufliciently high velocity to cause disintegration of the fat globules by impact and by rigidly maintaining such adjustment between the surfaces 11 and 13 thorough homogenizing action is insured.

Practice has demonstrated that milk and cream homogenized with a device embodying the present invention retains the caseinin practically undisturbed or unaltered condition and cream so homogenized can be used in hot coffee without curdling, a result that has not been heretofore obtained by any known homogenizing machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. A homogenizer embodying a suitable casing having an inlet passage for conducting liquid thereto at a homogenizing pressure,'and homogenizing elements contained in the casing and having plane surfaces ar-- ranged in opposed relation and in alinement with said inlet passage, said elements being capable of relative adjustment to vary the opposed plane surfaces, one of said elements having an internal bore for conducting the homogenized product from the space between such elements, and

. ranged on one extremity thereof and located 5 bushing removably fitted in said casing to re ceive the homogenized liquid from the s ace between such. elements, the bushing aving its smooth surface formed on'the inner extremity thereof and projectin into said bore of the casing, and a rigid ymounted screw cooperative with one of said elements to permit the distance between the opposed plane surfaces to be adjusted and to positively limit the relative separation of said surfaces.

3. A homogenizer embodying a casing having a bore and a passage communicating therewith 'for the flow of the liquid, a hollow bushing removably inserted in the casing and provided with a smooth surface artoward one end of said bore, a plug arranged in said bore and having a smooth surface cooperative with said smooth surface on the bushing, and means for maintaining said smooth surfaces in cooperative relation to homo enize a liquid forced between them. 4. A omogenizer embodying a casing having a bore and an inlet passage for the liquid leading into one side of said bore, a homogenizing element comprising a' hollow bushing formed separately from and removably inserted in said casing, said bushing having a smooth surface on its inner extremity located toward one end of said bore, a homogenizing element comprising a plug (:ontained in sai sbore and having a smoth surface cooperative with said smooth surface on the bushing, a'passage being provided by one of said homogenizing elements for ccnduct-in the liquid to be homogenized to the peripheral edges of said smooth surfaces, and -means for maintaining said smooth surfaces in cooperative relation.

In "testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand' in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. WILLMANN. 

